1. The Board’s new website launches next week
The Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities will unveil its redesigned website early next week. The new site, which will be found at www.lucasdd.org, will feature a completely revamped and mobile-friendly look, with more features and functionality for a much improved user experience. Check it out next week!
2. The Board's annual meeting is April 25
The Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities has scheduled its annual meeting for April 25 at 6 p.m. at the Larc Lane Training Center. This annual meeting celebrates the Board’s accomplishments for 2021 and anticipates the goals for 2022. We also will hand out awards that celebrate the best of our staff and our community partners. Trevor Lane, director of God’s Abled Ministries in Circleville, Ohio, will be our keynote speaker, and some of the individuals we serve will be there to show off their talents. We're excited to be back in person this year and hope you can join us at our South Toledo Headquarters!
3. Ability Center’s Flower Sale fundraiser begins May 6
The Ability Center will hold its annual Flower Sale fundraiser over Mother’s Day weekend at Lakewood Flower Market. The sale will take place May 6 and 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and May 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. During this event, 20 percent of all sales will be donated to youth with disabilities. Lakewood Flower Market is located at 4701 Talmadge Road in Toledo. For more information, click here.
4. Next Grant Workshop Wednesday is April 27
The Next Grant Workshop Wednesday is scheduled for April 27 at noon. The featured guest this month will be Stacy Harper from Avenues for Autism. Harper will discuss the organization’s Suzanne Tyner Autism Assistance Fund, how Avenues for Autism helps with the many needs of individuals with autism, and how the group brings northwest Ohio together to provide every possible opportunity for everyone touched by autism. For more information, click here.
5. DODD to provide free provider training
The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities’ Office of System Support and Standards is offering free online provider training on the last Thursday of the month from 10 to 11 a.m.
All training will be recorded and available to view any time after the event via the same registration link. For more information and to register, click the title below.
April 28, 2022 – Service Delivery Documentation
May 26, 2022 – OhioISP
June 30, 2022 – Maintaining Compliance
July 28, 2022 – Medication Administration
Aug. 25, 2022 – Billing & Claims Process and Cycle
Sept. 29, 2022 – Behavioral Supports
Oct. 27, 2022 – Unusual Incidents and Major Unusual Incidents
Please address any questions to OSSAS@dodd.ohio.gov.
6. Nuestra Gente to hold free health screening event April 24
As part of Minority Health Month, Nuestra Gente Community Projects will hold a free health screening event on April 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. During this free event, attendees can receive free blood pressure, blood sugarand cholesterol screenings as well as a free lunch. This event will take place at Immaculate Conception Church at 434 Eastern Avenue in Toledo.
7. Participants needed for accessible news focus groups
A group of researchers, including a professor in the University of Toledo Disability Studies program, are recruiting for focus groups to talk about accessible news for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The project focuses on how people with disabilities get their news, where they get it, what stories they are interested in, problems they have getting the news, and ideas for making it easier to read the news. These focus groups will be held virtually or in person at the University of Toledo, and each participant will receive a $25 gift card. To participate, complete the sign-up form here. Please direct any questions to plainlanguagenews@gmail.com.
8. Urban Air Adventure Park sensory-friendly event April 24
Urban Air Adventure Park will host a sensory-friendly event on Sunday, April 24, at 9 a.m. Urban Air is located at 5243 Airport Highway in Toledo and features trampolines, indoor climbing walls, interactive games and more.
9. Toledo Ballet Gala featuring Dancing Wheels
The Ability Center presents a Toledo Ballet Gala featuring Dancing Wheels at the Valentine Theatre on April 29 at 7:30 p.m. During this one-night-only performance, Toledo Ballet Dancers will join Dancing Wheels, an inclusive dance company that brings together dancers both with and without disabilities. To purchase tickets, call 419-246-8000 or click here.
10. Lucas and Wood County boards to host DSP retention workshops
Providers, if you are exhausted from the constant cycle of direct support professional turnover, if you want to hold on to DSPs like a magnet, the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, in partnership with the Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities, has the workshop for you! The DSP Magnet Retention Workshop will provide simple, actionable and immediate steps for improved on-boarding/training experiences, strengthening your culture, and creating an ISP for DSPs so they get the support they need to succeed and stay. The second free workshop will be at the Board’s Larc Lane Center on April 27 at 9 a.m. Spots are limited. Learn more and sign up here.
11. The Sight Center to host blind wine event
The Sight Center of Northwest Ohio will host A Taste of Spring, a blind wine event, on Thursday, April 28, at 5:30 p.m. This unique wine-tasting fundraiser will combine wine, food and fun awareness activities to engage the non-visual senses. Guests will sample a variety of fine wines, enjoy tasty food pairings and participate in fun activities that demonstrate the solutions used every day by people who live with vision loss.
The Sight Center is located at 1002 Garden Lake Parkway in Toledo. The cost is $45 per person. Spaces are limited. For more information, click here.
12. The Ability Center presents Youth Leadership Forum
The Ability Center will present an Ohio Regional Youth Leadership Forum June 21-24.
This four-day training program will include a meeting with government officials, a tour of the Toledo City Council Chambers and innovative programs with community leaders with disabilities.
Twenty high school juniors and seniors with disabilities will be selected to attend. This program is available at no cost and will be held at the Main Library at 325 Michigan Street Toledo.
Applications are due April 30. For more information, click here.
13. People First to host Wednesday Walk at Middlegrounds
People First will host the fourth of six free social walks at Middlegrounds Metropark on April 27 at 5:30 p.m. The group will walk the park’s 1.1-mile trail. Walkers should meet at the Rotary Pavilion. For more information about Wednesday Walks and to register, click here.
14. TARTA seeks input about potential new service scenarios
TARTA Next has evaluated existing transit ridership, local market conditions and regional travel patterns. The project team has also gathered feedback from the community through an online community survey of existing transit riders, public meetings, and ongoing discussions with stakeholders. Using feedback received during the first phase of the project, two conceptual service scenarios have been developed. Learn more about these scenarios and provide your thoughts here.